These downloadable PDF guides are crafted for grades 5+, but easily adaptable for younger learners, and focus on exploring Hawaiʻi’s native forests and watersheds. Each guide includes background context, guiding questions, hands‑on activities, journals, and worksheets. (PDFs also contain clickable links and QR codes.)
Forest Water Cycle (Kūmokuhāli‘i) – Explore how native forests gather, filter, and store freshwater through diagram labeling, journaling, and comparing forest layers.
Watershed Journeys (Nā ʻĀina Kumu Wai) – Trace the origin of tap water via mapping, storytelling, and reflective questions linking forest health to water supply.
Leaf Detective (Nā Māhele o ka Lau) – Learn leaf anatomy through rubbings, scavenger hunts, and comparative descriptions.
Dispersal Detectives (Nā Mū ʻEkolu) – Investigate how species arrived to Hawaiʻi using wind, water, and wings via worksheets and outdoor seed tests.
Bird ID (Kīlo Manu & Nā Māhele o ka Manu) – Identify birds using apps like Merlin, play bird-Bingo, learn anatomy terms, and practice observational journaling.
He ʻŌiwi ʻOe? – Distinguish native vs. introduced species with definitions, image-based sorting, and habitat reflections.
Forest ecology: water interception, forest layering, and watershed science
Botany fundamentals: leaf morphology, seed dispersal, species classification
Ornithology: bird observation, anatomy, and citizen science tools
Biodiversity literacy: native/introduced species understanding
Field skills: journaling, observation, mapping, and critical thinking
